Hey, I know this is annoying to be asked this but this is my first ever post and my first time ever posting on CC. I have applied to Vassar College and it is in my top 3 (RD) and I would like to know what you guys’ think are my chances are of getting in. So I am not submitting my SAT scores since I was not able to retake them (though I’ve tried several times).
STATS:
Background: First-gen, low-income south-asian male from the NYC area.
Weighted GPA: 93.85/100 (NOT sure what my UW would be)
Class Rank: #8 out of 193
Academic Rigor: I am an IB student, so the majority of my courses are IB in my junior and senior year while my freshman year contained one honors course and one ap course during my sophomore year.
ECs: Section Leader of my schools Wind Ensemble(9-12), Co-Section leader of a out of school NYC band program(10-12), Treasures of Model UN Club (9-12), Treasure and Co-Founder of Student Government Club(11-12), Robotics Club engineering dept (10-12) (this is also a robotics team that is outside of my school and is associated with another school).
Teacher’s assistant on my school’s Technical Crew Team (Dealt with audio and visual equipment during performances) (10-12), Social Media Promoter of Covid-19 relief fund (Ever since covid till present day).
Work Exp: I interned at a College (PAID internship for one Summer), Worked at my father’s business all 4 years, I am a private tutor(I teach middle school math/English, hs students math, and hs/college students how to code. Did this from 9-present).
That’s basically all there is, I wish I was a better applicant and I am really worried that I won’t get in since I couldn’t take SAT again. If my chances are super poor, do you guys think going early decision will allow me to get in? I am willing to Commit to Vassar ED2 but just haven’t yet. Please lmk on your guys’ thoughts! Thank you.
It’s a little hard to tell with the weighted vs unweighted, and no test score (but lots of people are submitting test optional. Your class rank seems very in line with Vassar. Also, I am curious about your (I assume public) school’s IB program, and its rigor. If it has the reputation of being a rigorous program, then the class rank is even more impressive. Your extracurriculars sound good to me. Vassar has a jazz band, wind ensemble, and full symphony orchestra, so if you can play up your instrumental music experience, they might want you for that. Also, I like your tutoring experience, and coding skills. I think you have a good shot at getting in. I’m curious what your other top schools are.
My school’s IB program is quite new. However, I would say it is quite rigorous for me and my peers. If it helps I am taking IB-Physics HL, IB-Math HL, IB English HL, IB History SL, IB-Econ SL, IB-spanish SL. It is a public school. Compared to a well-renowned IB school, I don’t think mine is as rigorous. Still, it is by no means easy either. I do plan on pursuing music as well as a hobby ( I play Clarinet and Bass Clarinet). I also plan to major in computer science. My other top schools are Hamilton, Skidmore, and Colgate. Colgate and Vassar are my top. The reason I am choosing LACs as my top choices because I have other interest like economics and cognitive science and these schools will offer me a bit more academic freedom
I definitely am aware they are expensive especially since they are LACs. But they also give a LOT of aid to low-income students. I’ve already contacted each school to verify the amount of aid received and they claimed that would be quite accurate to my final aid package. So I am not worried that they are expensive. I am just hoping to get into one of them! (I would say its just that many high-income students apply to these schools so no one is aware of the fact that kids who come from severely low-income backgrounds pay less than 7k a year).
Are you familiar with the official transcript from your school? Does it include more than final grades? If you will be very specific with your transcript - grades each year since Freshman year (letter grades if your school offers them). I will give you my take. May I also assume you will not be submitting tests? Your rank seems about right. Very small class for a NYC public school so why don’t you share more about your high school? Thanks
Well my school uses only numerical grades so, 1-100. My schools is relatively small mainly because my school building consists of 2 other schools (3 including my own). Of the 3, my school is the best and the biggest in size. I’ve looked at my transcript and it tells my grades for every single class I’ve ever taken from 9-12 grade. It says every grade I’ve had in these classes as well. But in terms of letters, I would say that I am an A or A+ student. I also am taking the highest level of difficulty offered in my school. The only thing I will not be submitting is my SAT scores as I mentioned prior because I haven’t been able to retake them. Is there anything else you would like to know?
So your official transcript includes every period for every semester since Freshman year? OK, then, how many semesters and how many final grades start with an 8? Have any ever started with a 7? Thanks.
My schools transcript only shows the semester averages not the marking period ones. 9th grade- Fall Semester and Spring Semester - One 8, everything else is 9 or above. 10th grade- Fall Semester- Three 8’s. Spring Semester- Two 8’s. 11th grade- Fall Semester: Three 8’s. Spring Semester: One 8, One 7. 12th grade- I don’t know as of yet what my first and 2nd mp grades were, but my gpa was above a 90. If I had to guess based on my online grades, I probably had like One 8 and One 7. Its alot more difficult :((
Based upon your rank, you seem to be victim of a school that definitely does not inflate grades. Assuming Vassar knows your school well and has taken lots of their kids in the past, you might have a shot - especially if their academic profiles look like yours. Do you have Naviance to do a check like that? On the other hand, the look of the transcript in a test optional environment might cause you some trouble. It is a reach school, but I really hope it works out for you. ED might help, but better if you could ED to a slightly less competitive college and assure admittance (and that is in your top 2).
For naviance there isn’t enough data to display the majority of my schools including Vassar since no one really applies. Would you happen to have any info in regards to Colgate Uni?
I have an old friend, Lloyd Petersen, who use to head admissions at Vassar. We have not spoken in a while but if you reach out to him on linkedIn and use my first name… he will know me. Tell him an old college admissions expert he knows named Michael. See if he has a different read. I would like to see you applying one level down in the small liberal arts category. Do you have interest in any of those?
The Forbes article was posted simply to substantiate the quality of your current colleges of interest (and to note the coincidence of the inclusion of three of them in an article that mentions only ten schools). The intent was not to suggest that certain colleges may be beyond your price range.